We, at the Art Gallery of Lambeth, would like to welcome our newest addition to our Resident Artist family. Melissa has come to us all the way from the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia.
Melissa was born in Toronto, and moved to the Lower Mainland of BC, settling in Richmond when she was five. Melissa became interested in art in high school where she was
encouraged by her art teacher to pursue art as more than just a passing interest.She loved art, loved talking about it, and loved learning about it. She talked often about what she was doing, and what she was learning about colours, hues, the techniques, and composition. Anyone could see her enthusiasm.
Her teacher was good for her, with his encouragement and teachings. When she graduated from high school, he helped her get a scholarship to Emily Carr University of Art & Design.
When she graduated from Emily Carr, she traveled to parts of Europe. She was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. She spent time studying his work and even visited the Sistine Chapel in Italy to see his work first hand.
She was inspired by other 'masters' of that time and genre as well, including Rembrant. She wanted to paint the way they did and with as much detail in her work as they did, especially with regards to the human body. She then carried the same passion for detail into the other aspects of her work.
She has painted with acrylics, and watercolours. She has even done tatoos for people on their body, one of which (believe it or not) is a rendering of 'The Last Supper' up the full side of a woman's body. But, by far, her favourite medium is oil.
Melissa paints a wide range of subjects. Her work includes birds, country scenes, landscapes, and seascapes. But her love of painting and technical skill is obvious in her portrayal of the human figure. Her works draw attention wherever they are shown.
When she looks at something that catches her eye, nothing escapes her. Light and shadow, tone, and perspective; she sees all of these things, and captures them on her canvas.
